Spiral separator



Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

2 SHEETS-:SHEET I.

III-M58858 51.. 5A,;

IN l/EN TOR flank Parae ATTORNEY F. PARDEE.

SPIRAL SEPARATOR- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1915.

1,356,464, Patented 0ct.19,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' WITNESSES Jwmron I l Br ATTORNEY ITED S ATE AT NT, O F CE- FRA PARDEE,or 'HAzLE'roN, PENNSYLVANIA.

- SPIRAL SEPARATOR. 1

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, FRANK PARDEE, acitizenof the United States, and resident of the city of I-Iazleton, inthe county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have in vented certainnew and useful Improvements in Spiral Separators, of which the followingis aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying, drawings,forming apart hereof.

The invention relates to spiral separators of the class known to have adouble pitch, that is, a downward pitch and a pitch toward the axis andwhich operate by gravity, centrifugal force and frictional re sistance.

In'spiral separators as heretofore con structed, no provisionwas madefor protectingthe central post nor for easing the transfer of coal fromthe separatorthread to the outer or coal-thread of the machine.

The object of thisimprovement is to construct the spiral plates in sucha manner as to avoid undue cutting or injury to the central post on theone hand, and, on the other,

to transfer or lower the coal separated from the slate and bone tothecoal-thread of the separator without undue fracture or breakage. s

- The presentinvention consists in forming the spiral plates whichcomprise the runway,

with an inner upturned flange for place-,

ment next to the post and in forming certain plates with an outerdownturned flange projecting from the slate-thread or so-calledseparator-thread, for lowering the coal to the coal-thread, ashereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings Figure 1, represents aright hand spiral separator havinga slate or separator-thread, and a coal-thread, and

shQws'a double feed chute at the top. Fig.

2, is a detail elevation showing the'central post brokenand therelativeposition ofthe plates composing the threads of the machine Fig. 3, is a.sectional detail through the plates and shows the positions of thesupporting rods. r

Fig. 4-, is also a sectional detail in which the outerdownturnedflajrige is omitted from some of the separator 'lates, itsprojection and position being suc as to transfer the coal directly tothe coal-thread, while the bone, which is heavier, drops back into theseparator-thread or a bone-thread, having no outer flange.

Specification of Letters Patent.

In these drawings A, represents the central post and B, B,.the feedchute at the top of the machine. These chutes connect with a source ofsupply not shown, but usually with a breaker chute which receives thesized mixed materials, after they have passed through the screen or barsin the breaker. pass from the feed chute B, B, into the separator threadcomposed of spiral plates into'abone-thread, andthe coal owing to itslightness and smoothness moves with more rapidity "underthe influence ofthe centrifugal force, in an outward direction and isautomaticallytransferred or delivered to the coal-thread.

. The spiral plates A,,A, are secured in' position by bolts 7), 5,6,which pass through the rods 5, 7) b the inner ends of which are fastenedto the central post A. The floor the 'chutes,qnot shown, for, conveyingthem away after the separation hastal ren. place. ThelplatesA, A, of theseparator thread have an innerupturned flange a next to the post and anouter downturned flange a,

which overhangs the bone or coal-thread,

and some ofthese .outer downturned flanges may be oinitted as shown Fig,4. o

)The inner flanges of all plates come next to the post Afand form an l"hollow space which prevents the slate from crowding too much against thepost and from cut ting or wearing it unduly.

The outer downturned-flange c of the separator-thread has a suflicientinclination Patented Oct. 19, 1920. Application filed June 10, 1915.Serial-No. 33,387.

The materials to be separated The .75 edge of theslate-thread or overthe same to lead the coal to a lower level and diminish the breakage bydiminishing the distance of the drop which it makes in passing to thecoal-thread. The coal-thread has an outer upturned flange C, which maybe separately formed or integrally formed as desired. The drawings showthe outer flange as being formed separately from the floor or runwayplates and secured to an upturned bend in the rods Z Z), by bolts 5 b.This coal thread starts at a point determined by the spiral pitch andthe downward and inward inclination of the separator thread, where thecoal in its downward travel acquires sufficient velocity to carry itbeyond the outer edge of the separator thread or onto the inclinedrunway (L The upper portions of the separating run- 'ays are steeplyinclined in the radial direction and have high vertical flanges on theirouter edges, so as to prevent the escape of any material. In theseportions of the separating runways the particles of coal are graduallyseparated from the others and accumulated on the outer portion of therunway. This separation is substantially completed in these upperportions and the charactor of the separating runways then changes bygradually bending the outer flanges toward a horizontal direction, as atthe left in the second convolution shown in Fig. 1, and finally outwardand downward at a slight inclination to the horizontal as shown for theseparating runways at the right of the lowest convolution, so that theparticles of coal previously separated and running down the outside ofthe runways is dropped comparatively gently from such runways; asupplemental runway being arranged below the lower portion of theseparating runway to catch the coal which drops from the outer edgethereof.

As the particles of coal. run down the separating runway some of themstrike others and are liable to be projected inward out of their properzone. Similarly pariicles of slate are liable to be projected. outwardinto the proper coal zone, and over the edge of the separating runwayinto the supplementary runway designed for coal alone. The creasedsurfaces indicated at a extend in an approximately spiral direction andtend to diminish this liability of improper admixture by maintainingeach material in its proper path.

Even without such knocking of the particles together, the weight andconsequent centrifugal effect tends to throw the slate out beyond theedge of the separating runway. To prevent this the perforated plates (4are used, giving a roughened surface which by taking advantage of thegreater roughness of slate as compared with coal will permit the latterto pass outward and will hold the slate inward. To secure the bestresults the surface should be roughened to cause the desired separationand should be creased to prevent subsequent accidental admixture, and Ihave provided for this by alternating the perforated plates and thecreased plates as indicated at the lower end of the separating runway.

In constructing a spiral separator with plates having inner or inner.and outer flanges as described, such plates are formed from suitablesheet or plate metal swaged into the requiredform and shape.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spiral separator comprising a coalthread and a separator-threadhaving runways composed of spiral plates, the floorplate of saidseparator-thread being provided with. outer flanges turned downward at aslight inclination to the horizontal for aiding in lowering theseparated coal gently to said coal-thread. I

2. A spiral separator comprising a coalthread and a separator-thread,said last mentioned thread being composed of runway plates having anouter flange turned down ward ata slight inclination to the horizontaland with retarding surfaces whereby the rougher substances may beseparated from the smoother ones and the latter delivered to saidcoal-thread.

3. A spiral separator comprising a spiral separating runway having at anupper point a downward and inward inclination throughout its width, saidspiral runway having its width at a lower point composed of a downwardlyand inwardly inclined inner portion and a downwardly and outwardlyinclined outer portion.

t. A spiral separator comprising a pair of separating runways, one abovethe other, and a supplementary runway below them to receive materialescaping outward therefrom, the upper one of said separating runwayshaving an outer flange turned downward at a slight inclination to thehorizontal for delivering said material comparatively gently to saidsupplementary runway.-

Vitnesses:

S. A. BARBER, ANNA M. WITTERAU.

FRANK PARDEE.

